Frequently Asked Questions

Frequently Asked Questions

What is records management? Records management is the administration of a record during its entire life cycle. The life cycle of a record begins when it is created and ends at its final disposition whether that be destruction of the record or the transfer of the record to the University Archives and Special Collections.

What does records management have to do with me? All departments have a responsibility to preserve and protect all records that are under their control. The best way to do this is to understand the kinds of records that your department creates and maintains, and actively manage them. Each department also has the responsibility to follow the policies and procedures of good records management as set out in this website.

What are the benefits of a records management program? Records Management frees up physical storage space as well as digital server space and allows departments to dispose of unneeded records with confidence. Proper records management reduces the volume of records that must be searched when responding to audits, requests for public information, subpoenas, and other administrative requirements. It also ensures compliance with federal and state records management laws, policies, and rules.

Are some documents not considered official state records? Extra copies or duplicate copies (referred to as convenience copies) maintained only for ease of reference, a stock of publications or blank forms, catalogs or trade journals are not considered official state records.

Can I store records that are still within their retention period in the Physical Plant's records holding room? No, records that are still within their retention period must be kept in their department of origin for ease of access. Only after a record's retention period has been met or is exceeded can records be disposed of. Disposition is the process of moving records to archives or destroying. When records have physically left the custody of their originating department, they are considered as having begun their disposition process.

Is email a series on the Records Retention Schedule? Email should be regarded as a format of a record and categorized by its content. Just as written correspondence is classified as general, administrative, or transitory, depending on the content of the correspondence, email generally falls into one of these three categories. Email may be retained as an electronic file or printed and managed in a hard copy or both.

What is transitory information? The Texas State Library and Archives Commission's Retention Schedules for Texas State Agencies and Public Universities defines transitory information as: 

Records of temporary usefulness that are

• not an integral part of a records series of an agency
• not essential to the fulfillment of statutory obiligations or to the documentation of agency function
• not regularly filed within an agency's record keeping system
• required only for a limited period of time for the completion of an action by an official or employee of the agency or in the preparation of an ongoing records series.

Examples of transitory information, which can be in any medium (voice mail, fax, email, hard copy, etc.) are routine messages; internal meeting notices; routing slips; incoming letters or memoranda of transmittal that add nothing of substance to enclosures; and similar routine information used for communication, but not for the documentation, of a specific agency transaction.

In the UT Tyler Records Retention Schedule, what do the Retention and Archival Codes mean? Retention Codes, when used with Retention Period, represent the minimum retention length that records must be kept.

• CE: "Calendar Year End" (end date of 12/31/20xx)
  • CE+1 means Calendar Year End plus 1 year
• FE: "Fiscal Year End" (end date of 8/31/20xx)
  • FE+3 means Fiscal Year End plus 3 years
• LA: "Life of Asset"
  • LA+11 means Life of Asset plus 11 years
• PM: "Permanent"
  • PM with Archival Code 1 means preserve permanently in the University Archives
• US: "Until Superseded" (replaced by an updated version)
  • US+5 means Until Superseded plus 5 years
• AV: as long as "Administrateively Valuable"
  • Records kept until purpose has been fulfilled and the need for it has been satisfied
• AC: "After Closed"
  • AC Definition should always be provided in the Schedule as it changes depending on the record descripted. It may mean after the project is complete, after the employee is terminated, after completion of audit, etc. AC could fall at any time throughout the year, whereas FE and CE refer to the end dates listed above.
  • AC+2 means After Closed plus 2 years

Archival Codes are used to note if a record, having met its retention period, needs consideration from the University Archivist.

• I: means records must be transferred to the University Archivist/University Archives
• O: means records must be reviewed by the University Archivist to determine archival value

These reviews also sometimes known as archival appraisals, are done on a series by series, case by case, basis. These may result in records being transferred to the University Archives or disposed of if found lacking in archival/university/historic value.

Does the university pay for shredding documents that have met or exceeded the retention date? Typically twice a year, usually towards the end of each long semester, the university contracts a certified vendor to come on campus to shred documents that have met or exceeded the retention date per the universiity's Records Retention Schedule.

Each department will need to fill out a Records Disposition Log form which can be provided by the University Archivist/Records Manager via DocuSign, which must describe the information being shredded and must be signed by departmental authority. A copy of the completed disposition log will be retained by the authorizing department and the University Archives and Special Collections with copies also being provided to Facilities/Physical Plant and Dean of Libraries/Records Management Officer as necessary.

A department may also do their own shredding at their own cost, but they still must involve the Records Manager and complete a Records Disposition Log.